Charity No. 1165113
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Crowe U.K. LLP Chartered Accountants Black Country House Rounds Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B69 2DG
THE MARTIN REACH
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 - 5 |
| Receipts and payments accounts | 6 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 7 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 8 |
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Charity number 1165113
Principal address
Black Country House Rounds Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B69 2DG
Trustees
Anthony Martin Cathrine Martin Richard Nagle
Accountants
Crowe U.K. LLP Chartered Accountants Black Country House Rounds Green Road Oldbury West Midlands B69 2DG
Page 1
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 5 April 2025. The Trustees have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
Structure, Governance and Management
Governance
The Charity was created by a constitution dated 11 January 2016 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) exclusively for charitable purposes, ‘charitable’ meaning charitable according to English Law. The Trustees, principal office and advisors are as detailed on page 1.
Organisational Structure and Administration
The Charity is administered by three unpaid Trustees. The three Trustees are considered to be the Key Management Personnel of the Charity and are actively involved in the administration of the Charity. At present with the Charity being in its early stage of growth and set up, Trustee meetings held at present are concerned with establishing the Charity. It is anticipated that in the future Trustees will meet on a regular basis to consider grants and to review the financial position of the Charity. All major decisions concerning the Charity will be made at these meetings, and responsibility for enacting those decisions will be delegated to specific individual Trustees who will report accordingly at each meeting.
The charity constitution dated 11th January 2016 details the following with regard to Trustees:
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The Trustees shall manage the affairs of the CIO and may for that purpose exercise all the powers of the CIO.
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It is the duty of each Trustee to exercise their powers and to perform their functions in their capacity as a Trustee of the CIO in the way they decide in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the CIO;
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Every Trustee must be a natural person.
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There must be at least three Trustees with no maximum.
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Apart from the first charity Trustees, every Trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees, but any such appointment is subject to the approval of the Members.
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A Trustee ceases to hold office if they retire by notifying the CIO in writing; is absent without the permission of the Trustees from all their meetings held within a period of twelve months and the trustees resolve that their office be vacated; dies; becomes physically or mentally incapable of acting as a Trustee; is removed by resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees after the meeting has invited the views of the Trustee concerned and considered the matter in the light of any such views; or is disqualified from acting as a Trustee by virtue of sections 178-180 of the Charities Act 2011. Any person retiring as a Trustee is eligible for reappointment.
Page 2
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Activities, specific objectives and relevant policies
Activities and specific objectives
The Charity’s ethos is to be focused on building dreams through education because it believes education reverses poverty, creating routes to opportunity, happiness and prosperity. The Charity believes that education is the great equalizer, levelling the field between those who have and those who do not. The Charity has identified its main target area that is in need of assistance to be Africa.
The objects as detailed in the constitution are the prevention and relief of poverty amongst those in need by reason of financial hardship. The advancement of education, in particular by the provision of bursaries and other forms of financial assistance to pupils and students. The relief of sickness and the promotion and preservation of health. The assistance of those in need by reason of ill-health, disability, social exclusion or other disadvantage and the advancement of such other purposes that are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales as the trustees in their absolute discretion think fit.
The Trustees intend to identify potential recipients for donations who fall within the Charity’s objectives in future years. Any potential recipient will be considered by the Trustees collectively and if a grant is approved an appropriate donation will be determined. The Trustees intend on visiting or otherwise contacting recipients of grants made in the future to ensure that the anticipated benefit has been realised from the grant.
Objectives and activities for the public benefit
The Trustees confirm that they will refer to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities and setting the grant making policy for future years to come.
The Charity aims to carries out these objects by giving equal access to the tools and resources required to make dreams happen. They intend to accomplish this goal by funding projects that create a safe environment to learn, supplement tuition costs for those who cannot afford to pay and provide additional resources (from books to computers, and from desks to paper). To do whatever it takes to help children reach for their dreams higher, longer and easier.
The Charity recognises that poor countries all face the same problems: food, water, shelter, industry, jobs and opportunities. These problems are especially prevalent throughout Africa, exacerbated by the fact there is not a good, free education system. Upward mobility is difficult, if not impossible, so the rich stay rich, the poor stay poor. While the middle class is growing and they undoubtedly face obstacles and challenges trying to escape the poverty cycle, it's the poor who continue to suffer the most. In a social system that doesn't support entrepreneurship nor give poor children a name or a face, the poverty cycle seems never-ending. Cast aside as not worthy and unable to afford an education, these children have no opportunity, no future and no ability to dream, so the cycle continues like a hamster running on a wheel, trying to keep up, unable to get off. The Charity recognises that education is the difference between working to survive in the world and working to transform the world. The Charity’s goal is to help children transform.
The Trustees therefore consider that the Trust’s activities are for the benefit of the public generally.
Page 3
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Achievements, Performance and Financial Review
A summary of the year’s results is given on page 6 of the accounts.
The Charity is still in the early stages of its development. Previously the Charity has received donations of £150,500 from its founder Trustee Anthony Martin. The Charity remains keen to target its support to areas in the world most in need. During the year ended 5 April 2025, the Charity has applied £3,024 (2024: £13,780) towards charitable activities, administering the Charity and towards governance costs.
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and the excess of payments over receipts for the year ended 5 April 2025 amount to £2,067 (2024: £12,872).
The Trustees feel that they will achieve their objectives in the near future and are also looking into possibly investing their surplus cash with an investment broker but at this stage this is still under consideration.
Plans for Future Periods
The Trustees anticipate that from the income received in the previous period together with potential promised donations to be made to the Charity in the future that it will be able to make a positive step towards realising its objectives.
Reserves Policy
Following its initial set-up phase it is the Trustees’ policy to spend all the income arising in each period, but not, save exceptionally, to commit income in excess of that anticipated to be generated.
Risk Policy
The Trustees are responsible for the management of the risks faced by the charity. Risks are identified and assessed and controls are established throughout the year. A formal review of the charity’s risk management process is undertaken on an annual basis and the key risks identified are as follows:
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Ineffective financial controls
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Cash
- These risks are mitigated by having income mandated direct to the Trust bank account, expenses must be authorised and cheques issued must be signed by 2 Trustees. Also all grants are approved at Trustee meetings and included in the minutes.
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Inadequate financial planning
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These risks are mitigated by preparing income and expenditure statements which are presented at Trustees meeting. Committing to donations is only undertaken on review of projected income.
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The key controls used by the charity include agendas and minutes for all Trustee meetings, planning, budgeting and accounting and authorisation and approval levels of all grants and other expenditure.
Page 4
THE MARTIN REACH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Through the risk management processes established, the Trustees are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated where necessary. It is recognised that systems can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed. The major risks to which the charity is exposed as identified by the Trustees have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks.
For and on behalf of the Trustees:
………………………………………. Anthony Martin Trustee Date:
Page 5
THE MARTIN REACH
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
| Receipts Donations and legacies Bank interest Total Receipts Payments Grants paid to CAFOD Accountancy fees Total Payments Net of receipts/(payments) Transfer CASH FUNDS AT 6 APRIL 2024 CASH FUNDS AT 5 APRIL 2025 |
Unrestricted funds 2025 £ - 957 957 - 3,024 3,024 (2,067) - 74,757 72,690 |
Unrestricted funds 2024 £ 908 - 908 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 3,780 13,780 |
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| (12,872) - 87,629 |
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| 74,757 |
The notes form part of these receipts and payments accounts
Page 6
THE MARTIN REACH
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 5 APRIL 2025
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2025 2024
£ £
Cash Funds
Cash at Bank 72,690 74,757
Current Liabilities
Other Creditors and accruals 2,000 3,024
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The receipts and payments accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees on and were signed on its behalf by:
............................................. Anthony Martin Trustee
Page 7
THE MARTIN REACH
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
The accounts were previously prepared under the Charity SORP on an accruals basis, however, the Trustees have decided that the receipts and payments basis are more appropriate for the charity given its current size and therefore the comparatives have been restated to a receipts and payments basis.
Basis of preparation
The Martin Reach is a charity governed by a constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its charity trustees. It has no share capital. The registered office is Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 2DG. Its principal activities are to enable all children access to education to fulfil their potential.
Income
All income is recognised in Receipts and Payments once the charity has received funds.
Expenditure
All payments are recognised in the Receipts and Payments Accounts when it is paid.
Fund accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
2. STAFF COSTS, TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no employees during the year or prior year.
There have been no remuneration or expenditure paid to the trustees during the year or prior year.
Page 8